Life-saving net.



RFLDI.

LIFE SAYING NET.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 9, 1914Y 1,099,352, Patented June 9,1914.

CULUMBIA PLANnnDAPH C0. WASHINGTON. D.

FRANK FLDI, oncLnvELANn, onto;

LIFE-SAVING NET.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented June 9, 1911.4..

Application filed March 9, 1914. SelalNo. 823,486.

To all 'whomc't may concern Be it known that I', FRANK FLDI, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and Statel of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Nets, of which the following is aspecifieation.

This invention relates to certaininew and useful improvements in life-saving nets adaptedifor use as a body-catching device.

The primary object of` this invention is to provide a body-catching net resiliently sus pended for cushioning' the fall of a body when striking therein from a considerable height, such as would be incident from the jumping of a person from an upper story of a burning building.

A further object of the device is to pro vide a mechanical means for suspending` thev lifenet in lieu of a holding thereof by the firemen and which suspending device moreover shall be resilient and yielding upon the dropping of a body thercinto.

A still further object is` to provide a net holder which may he moved upon a wheeled base to the desired position for use and which will sustain the net suspended and resiliently allow a downward movement thereof counterbalanced by weights.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrange ment of parts hereinafter fully described,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a partof this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views:-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device showing the net positioned for use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one of the post supportingmeans. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the posts detached, and, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the net-carrying sliding blocks detached.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the platform 10 is illustrated as mounted upon wheels or rollers 11 forreadily positioning the device at the desired point with respect to a burning building and so as to allow the occupants to jump within the net 11 carried above the latform.

At each corner o the platform as now illustrated and at other points along the ledges thereof if desired, are positioned supporting posts 12 having their outer faces `provided with vertical slots 13 adapted to slidably-receive weight members 14 to which `are attached cords 15 running over sheaves lor rollers 1G upon the tops of the posts, the cords being then secured to the blocks 17. Spring boards 2G are positioned adjacent the inner opposite faces of the posts 1Qand are held normally downwardly convergent by means of springs 27 connecting said posts and boards, it being noted that the springs are of greater length adjacent the lower ends of the posts than those positioned thereabove. Said blocks 17 have a spacing rod 28 `rigidly secured therebetween while the net 11 which is secured to the blocks is also secured to or around the o posite end rods 28. 1A separate one of said b ocks 17 is provided jas illustrated at each corner of the net 11 :and has a dovetailed groove 18 in its outer face adapted to receive and slide upon the tenen 1S) upon the inwardly-positioned inclined face 20 of the springboard 26. The block 17 is provided at the rear face of the j groove 18 with a heavy coil spring 21 adapted to press against the outer face of the tenen 19 when the block is slidably-positioned thereon.

lVith this described construction, the comi plete operation thereof will be apparent, the net being suspended from the four corner blocks 17, a heavy body dropping within the net gradually lowers the same simultaneously with a raising of the counter-weights 14 while the springs 21 of the blocks resiliently allow the latter to slide downwardly upon the respective spring-board tenen and whereby a cushioning effect is produced for the alighting and thus preventing harm or injury to the person escaping from the burning building. t The springs 27 are compressed upon a downward movement of the net by reason of the fixed distance between the blocks which slide upon the tenons 19 as insured by the spacing rods 28 and by which it will be seen that the downward movement of the net is cushioned by such arrangement.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself thereto, as various forms and modifications may be had which will fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as newv is l. A device 0f the class described comprising a movable platform, grooved posts upon said platform, upwardly-diverging boards resiliently mounted upon said posts, blocks slidably positioned upon said boards rigid Y spacing means between opposite ones of said blocks, a net secured between said blocks,

weights within the grooves of said posts,

and connecting means between said weights` and blocks.

2. A life-saving apparatus comprising a platform, ay post at each corner ofthe platform having `a longitudinal grooveV in its outer face, an inclined board resiliently mounted upon the inner oppositerfaces of said posts, longitudinal tenons upon the inner face of each board, rollers upon the tops of said posts and boards, a grooved blockV slidably positioned upon the tenon of each board, a rod rigidly secured ybetween the -opposite ones of said blocks, a life net secured between said blocks, counter-weights within the grooves of said posts,'and suspending devices connecting said counter weights `and blocks and running over said rollers. Y

' 3. vA device ofthe class described comprising a movable platform, a vertical post positioned at each corner of the platform and having a longitudinal vgroove in its outer face, downwardly convergent boards positioned inwardly of said posts, different length springs between saidboards land adjacent posts, a tenon mounted upon the in* Zner face of each board, a block havinga tenon groove therein adapted for slidablymounting upon said tenon, a spring member Vwithin the groove of said block engageable with the outer face` of the tenon, a life-net secured between said blocks rigid spacing means between opposite ones of said blocks,

'counter-weights within the grooves nof said posts, andsuspending cords between said weights 'and blocks.

4. Adevice of the class described compris-k ing a platform, a post at each corner of the v1 platform having a slotted outer face, inclined plates resiliently secured to the inner yfaces of each of said posts, and havingten-4 oned inner faces, -blocks having tenon grooves adapted fOrslidably-engaging said j j In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK FLDi.

Witnesses HENRY BARAos, NIK LUAcs.

'Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner Patents, Washington, D. C. Y Y 

